Christmas Romance
by jekkah
Summary: When her kids unexpectedly spend Christmas with her ex, Erin finds herself spending Christmas Day with none other than Derek Morgan. Written as a Christmas gift for pandorabox82


Author's Note: This was written as a Christmas present for one of my bestest friends in the entire world, pandorabox82. She requested an Erin/Morgan fic with the following prompts: snow angels, Christmas dinner, a surprise gift. I hope I did it some justice! Happy Holidays, Stephanie!

**Christmas Romance**

Erin couldn't believe that she was doing this.

She was a forty-eight year old woman with three teenage children, but here she was, out in the cold on Christmas Day, making snow angels. What was even more surprising was the who she was making angels with. Erin glanced over at her partner in crime, Derek Morgan.

"Didn't I tell you this would be fun?" Morgan asked, his eyes lit up like a kid in a candy shop.

"Oh, I don't think I've done this since my kids were little!" Erin exclaimed. She sobered slightly at the mention of her children. She was supposed to be spending the day with her not so little anymore angels, but at the last minute, there was a change in the custody and she got them for New Year's while her ex-husband whisked them away to a ski lodge in Utah for Christmas. Erin knew he was a bit bitter about her "death" and subsequent "resurrection", where he hadn't been privy to the fact that the death was faked to begin with, but she didn't think he would take it out on their kids. So, to avoid putting the kids in the middle of their drama, she smiled and helped the kids to pack, promising an epic Christmas when they returned.

She had resigned herself to spending Christmas alone, in front of the television, fighting the urge to open a bottle of wine. She hadn't counted on Miss Penelope Garcia overhearing the conversation with her ex and she really hadn't counted on Garcia relating the news to Derek Morgan of all people. So, when he showed up early this morning with supplies for the entire day, she was completely and totally flabbergasted.

"I didn't lose you, did I?" Morgan questioned, his dimples shining through.

Erin blushed. "No, I'm still here. I was just thinking about how much fun that I've had today."

His grin deepened. "I'm glad to hear it, but it's not over yet."

"It's not?" she asked, taking his hand as he helped her up from the snow.

"Nope." Morgan flung his arm around her waist as he guided her into the house. "I'm just beginning."

Erin found herself leaning further into him as they walked towards the house. "And what else do you have planned?"

Morgan tapped her nose before beginning to help her out of her coat. "That is for me to know and for you to find out… later."

"Oh, you!"

"But, for now, why don't you grab the rest of your ornaments while I start dinner?" Morgan suggested.

Glancing into her living room, Erin saw her mostly bare tree. She had planned on completing it before her children came home, but found that she had very little drive to finish it now that Christmas had been pushed off a week. "Oh, I don't know…"

Morgan stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. "Please? For me?"

"Alright," she agreed, rolling her eyes. Erin headed to the den where she had stored the bins of ornaments while Morgan headed towards the kitchen. By the time she returned to living room, Morgan had Christmas music playing throughout the house. Erin found herself singing along as placed bulbs on the trees.

"Don't you just have the voice of an angel?" Morgan commented.

Erin jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned around to find him leaning against the doorway, watching her, his eyes dancing. "What are you doing?"

Morgan's grin deepened. "I am watching a very beautiful woman sing with the voice of an angel."

"Oh, please," she huffed, but flushed with pleasure. She switched subjects. "Whatever you're cooking smells absolutely delicious."

"It's just a little something that my momma taught me," Morgan teased. He pushed himself off of the door and held out his hand as the music changed to something slower. "May I have this dance, Miss Strauss?"

Erin rolled her eyes, but eagerly agreed. She breathed in deeply as she settled her chin on his shoulder. She shivered as he traced circles down her back. "You are a wonderful dancer, Agent Morgan."

Morgan shook his head, slightly. "Now, what did I tell you about that? Today, I'm just Derek and you're just Erin."

"Okay, okay. You are a wonderful dancer, _Derek_," Erin laughed.

"My momma made sure that I could dance formally. She thought it would help me with the ladies," he paused, "not that I've ever needed any help there."

Erin's body stiffened. "I suppose not."

Concerned by her reaction, Morgan pulled away enough to stop them from dancing, but still maintaining contact with her. "What's going on? We were having a good time until just then."

"Why are you here, Derek?" she asked, frankly.

"I didn't want you to be alone on Christmas," he explained.

Erin pulled completely out of his arms, all merriment leaving her body. "So, you gave up your own Christmas because what? You felt sorry for me? I'm a big girl, Derek. I can take care of myself."

Morgan rubbed his head in confusion. "I know you can. That doesn't mean you have to."

"Why are you here?"

"I-" He stopped to take a big breath. "I have always admired you. Even when I didn't agree with your methods or your actions, I saw you for the powerful, strong person that you are. I... didn't realize that those feelings were deeper until after your 'death'. I was... devastated, Erin, when I thought you were gone. But I felt that I didn't have the right to grieve the way that your family or even Rossi grieved."

Erin's eyes cast downward as guilt welled up in her. "I'm sorry that I caused you pain."

Morgan stalked over to her and grabbed her upper arms. "I'm not talking about pain. I'm talking about the fact that I was in love with you and didn't know it. I'm talking about the fact that I cried every night for months because I thought I wouldn't get the chance to ever tell you. When Penelope told me that you were going to be alone for Christmas, I knew this was my chance."

"Chance?" she repeated, barely audible.

"Yes. This is my chance to tell you just how much I love you because I do, Erin Strauss. I love you and I know that right now you don't love me back, but I'm asking- No. I am begging that you give me a chance to see if you could feel the same way about me, too." With that, Morgan fell silent.

Erin breathed heavily, erratically. Her heart beat so hard that she was sure it would flew right out of her chest. Her thoughts raced and her eyes darted between Morgan's face, the Christmas tree, and floor. There were a million reasons why she shouldn't do this: the fact that she had kids, that she was older than him, that she was just getting her life back together, that she had been burned so many times in the past.

But one really good reason that she should: she could see herself falling in love with him, too.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Okay?"

"Okay!" she exclaimed. Erin threw her arms around his neck. "I think you're crazy, absolutely certifiably insane, but I want to give this thing a chance. I want to give you a chance."

Morgan whooped as her pulled her into his arms and spun her around. He put her back on the ground and gave her a light kiss on her lips. "This is the best Christmas gift ever."

Erin blushed. "It was definitely a surprise Christmas gift." She cupped his cheeks with her hands. "I had no idea what to expect when you showed up at my door this morning, but I am ever so glad that I let you in."

"Me, too, my sweet girl. Me, too."

"And that is the story of how I got your grandma to agree to go out with me," Morgan finished, giving the six-year-old girl on his lap a squeeze.

The girl, a spitting image of her grandmother, replied, "And it only took fives months of dating before Grandma agreed to marry you, right, Papa Derek?"

Morgan grinned. "That's right, Anabel."

"And it was the best decision, besides having your mommy and your aunt and uncle that I ever made," Erin finished as she walked into the living room. "Ani, your mom is just taking cookies out of the oven. Why don't you go see if you can have one?"

"Yay!" Anabel shouted, running off.

Erin plopped down in Morgan's lap, looping her arms around his neck. "Should I be worried that our granddaughter always asks for that story? I don't want her thinking that she can marry anyone after such a short courtship."

Morgan pulled her close to his chest, nuzzling her neck. "Absolutely not. I'll chase away any boys that step near my girl."

"Papa Derek! Mommy won't share any cookies!" Anabel called from the kitchen, breaking up their make out session.

"Of course, there is a downside to being the favorite," Morgan muttered as Erin removed herself from his lap.

"Hey, Derek?" Erin stopped him as he reached the doorway. "Thank you for showing at my door that day. Thank you for loving me."

Morgan ducked his hand. "Thank you for loving me. Thank you for this life. Thank you for-"

"Papa Derek!"

END


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